Berlin airports SXF and BER are growing: FBB sets initial course for expansion

FBB today set the initial course for further expansion of the aviation infrastructure in Schönefeld. In its meeting today, the Supervisory Board gave the go-ahead for a 65-million Euro package securing traffic growth in Schönefeld until BER is opened, permitting construction of the government airport and launching development of the location over the medium term until 2023. Until then, FBB is counting on Berlin traffic accounting for up to 40 million passengers. The package comprises the following individual projects:

• Short-term adaptation of the old Schönefeld Airport to increasing traffic figures
• Plans for adapting the SXF and BER taxiway system
• Plans for infrastructure concerning supply and disposal
• Plans for a low-cost terminal in the BER midfield for interim use

Expansion of infrastructure at Schönefeld is closely co-ordinated with construction of the government airport in Schönefeld.

Berlin’s Mayor and Chairman of the Supervisory Board Michael Müller: “Today, we made a key and forward-looking decision in favour of Berlin as an aviation location: we have collaborated on setting the initial course for sustainable expansion of the aviation infrastructure at the Schönefeld/BER location for up to 40 million passengers by 2023. This enables us to ensure that the region around the German capital will continue to be accessible in the years to come and the federal government can now start construction on the government airport.”

Airport CEO Karsten Mühlenfeld: “The airport infrastructure will be expanded in several stages. We are now creating new terminal capacity at the old Schönefeld Airport while simultaneously commencing plans for new capacity at BER. This multi-stage strategy will enable us to cover capacity requirements until 2023, i.e. over and beyond the opening of BER.”

Schönefeld Airport is to be improved over the short term in 2016 and 2017 in order to cope with increasing passenger figures. This will see extension of Terminal B to create more space for check-in and security control. A new Terminal F to the west of Terminal D is also to be built. On the land side, the approach for individual, bus and taxi traffic is to be improved. Bus access, coach parking and taxi ranks are therefore to be adapted to increasing capacities and the existing indoor car park refurbished.

FBB is initiating plans for development of the aircraft movement areas in order to maximise optimum taxiing traffic during parallel operation of Schönefeld and BER planned until 2023. The project includes plans for and subsequent construction of several aprons and taxiways.

The airport company is also commencing plans for infrastructure concerning supply and disposal adapted to increasing capacities at BER. This partial project comprises adapting capacity for fresh and waste water, rainwater, electricity, district heat and cooling, soil filter unit, telecommunications and IT infrastructure.

The airport company is commencing plans for a new low-cost terminal as an extension of the north pier at BER. This low-cost terminal is to be built as during the course of development of the government airport planned for 2023, capacity at Schönefeld Airport will be reduced. The new terminal will have its own approach, a multi-storey car park and a tax rank. The low-cost terminal will avail of all processes and facilities such as check-in, security control, departure and arrival gates as well as baggage handling independent of the BER terminal.